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Global News bulletin 03/04/2012

-The Syrian government has agreed to withdraw its security forces from in and around major population centers by April 10, ostensibly paving the way for a general cease-fire two days later.

–Spain’s new budget has revealed the country’s debt-GDP ratio and unemployment rate will rise this year, causing the highest debt level since 1990. The country’s debt-GDP ratio will be 79.8 percent in 2012, up from 68.5 percent in 2011.

–Israeli and Palestinian negotiators are to hold talks soon in what would be their first public meeting in more than two months, a senior official has said.

-An ex-student suspected of opening fire at a small Christian college in California, killing seven people and wounding three, was targeting a school administrator and former classmates who he felt had treated him unfairly according to police.

–Mitt Romney is aiming for a triple primary victory as voters in Wisconsin, Maryland and Washington DC pick a Republican presidential candidate.

-The African Union announced today it will impose more sanctions on Mali, one day after the Economic Community of West African States slapped the ruling military junta with travel and economic restrictions following last month’s coup.

-President Barack Obama took an opening shot at conservative justices on the Supreme Court, warning that a rejection of his sweeping healthcare law would be an act of “judicial activism” that Republicans say they abhor.

–James Murdoch, under fire over his handling of a phone hacking scandal that forced the closure of Britain’s top-selling Sunday newspaper, has stepped down from his role at the country’s dominant pay-TV company.

-Director James Cameron has re-edited a scene for the upcoming theatrical release of Titanic 3D after an astrophysicist informed him that the star formation used during a sinking ship scene was inaccurate.

–Pinterest co-founder Paul Sciarra said today that he is departing the suddenly super-hot startup.